Astoria Held Its Halloween Parade a Week Early. Saturday the 31st Still Fills Up From Noon On
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
The costume parade on Ditmars Boulevard is over. It took place last Saturday, October 24, on a car-free stretch from 31st to 37th Street, run by the Destination Ditmars Merchants Association from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Give Me Astoria listed it as the fifth annual parade and block party, with a family costume parade, art markets and live music. The next day, the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition's Batty Over Halloween filled the Great Lawn in Astoria Park from 1 to 4 p.m., with a puppet show and candy for kids.
That leaves Halloween itself, and this year it falls on a Saturday. With the big neighborhood gatherings already behind us, the day goes to a smaller set of hosts whose start times are spread across the afternoon and evening. Each place opens or wraps up at a different hour, so a household can start at the East River in late morning, work inland through the afternoon and still have somewhere to be at 8 p.m. The toughest choice is at the museum at 6 p.m. Here is the full stretch from tonight through Sunday.
Zero Vision Cinema's Halloweek is in its second year. It runs free events across Astoria and LIC every night from October 24 through Halloween. By today, five of its eight nights are done, including the opening outdoor screening of Stephen King's It. That screening moved this year from the 31st Ave Open Street, where the series used to show films, to Ditmars Open Streets. Three nights are left, and the first is tonight.
Thursday, October 29. Brewscares starts at 7:30 p.m. at QED, 27-16 23rd Ave. The group watches spooky episodes of 90s kids' TV while a comedian gets ready to riff on each one.
Friday, October 30 has three options, from quiet to loud:
On Friday it helps to know your plan for Saturday. Saturday rewards an early start, so if you want to make the most of it, keep Friday at Nosferatu's pace.
The 31st starts before noon for anyone who runs. NYRR's free Open Run at Astoria Park goes from 8:45 to 11 a.m. that morning, as it does on other Saturdays. After that, the day picks up in order.
Socrates is the biggest single program of the day. It's also the park's season closeout, so it's the last big day on its calendar this year. The festival page describes the lineup like this:
"family-friendly workshops, a community resource fair, the Planted Culture Vegan Food Market, as well as New York's second-largest dog costume contest co-presented with Chateau le Woof."
If your dog has a costume, this is the place to bring it. Between workshops, artist Lizania Cruz's interactive kiosk, Ecologies of Care, is open from 12 to 3 p.m. It's part of her Adobe Creative Residency at MoMA, and visitors can add to a shared map of the connections between people, wildlife and the built environment in the park. The Point, the park's new civic space, appears on Socrates' site as "Launching in Fall 2026," and the festival schedule doesn't list it.
If you're coming by ferry, NYC Ferry's new fares took effect October 19: $5 one way or $30 for a ten-trip pack. The fall timetable runs through November 1, with weekend service adjustments across routes, so check the posted Astoria-route schedule before you go.
The 31st Ave block runs three hours past Socrates, which makes it the easy next stop for anyone heading inland as the waterfront closes. The Collective hasn't posted an activity list for the day, and the city's Trick-or-Streets listing gives only the location, organizer and hours. NYC DOT also notes that listed events are subject to delay or cancellation, so check the 31st Ave Open Street page that week. Halloweek's screening moved to Ditmars this year, so whatever happens on 31st Avenue on the 31st will be the Collective's own event.
MoMI at 36-01 35th Ave fills the afternoon with three film start times. Every screening costs $17.50 general, $12 for seniors and students and $10 for youth, plus the $1.50 online fee. Member pricing changes by film: The Exorcist is free for members, while The Vourdalak and Poltergeist cost members $7.
At 6 p.m., you have to pick one of two things in the same building. Poltergeist starts in the Redstone Theater at the same time as MoMI After Dark. Give Me Astoria describes it as a guided lantern tour past film objects and special-effects demonstrations. The tour listing doesn't show a price, so check ticketing before you pick it. If you choose The Exorcist at 3:30, you can still make either 6 p.m. option.
Halloweek ends just outside Astoria. Its 5th Annual Halloween Party at Focal Point Beer Co opens with a costume contest. Top prizes include choosing a film for a future Astoria Horror Club screening and two tickets to A Ghost in Your Ear. Next comes a scary-movie power hour: 60 minutes of 60-second clips. Zero Vision Cinema calls it its biggest event of the year. That's a lot for a series that started its Astoria Horror Club screenings in 2021.
The weekend ends back at the museum. MoMI's Day of the Dead 2026 runs from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Kaufman Courtyard with free admission. It's co-presented with the Mexican Cultural Institute and includes Aztec Mexica dance, folkloric dance, music, face painting, family digital activities and an ofrenda. Event details from MoMI. You can get there from anywhere in the neighborhood in time for a 4 p.m. start, even after a late Saturday in LIC.
If you missed the Ditmars parade, Socrates and 31st Avenue are your best chances for a daytime costume crowd, and the RSVP for Socrates is free. If you'd rather spend the weekend at the movies, MoMI's Redstone Theater has films on both Friday and Saturday.
Our team lives the Astoria calendar too, from the waterfront to the avenues. If a fall move, a lease renewal or a vacant unit is on your list, Nelson Aybar can get it handled before the holidays get busy, in English or Spanish. Get help in a New York minute. Contact Nelson.
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